The Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), which has fielded its district secretary K.N.A. Khader for the October 11 Vengara Assembly byelection, does not expect any favour from the Sunni group led by Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliar, which has for many years been tacitly, and at times evidently, supporting the Left Democratic Front (LDF).
The party leadership has taken a decision not to provoke the Kanthapuram Sunni cadres any further, especially in the light of the Vengara byelection.
Although Mr. Khader has been known for his neutral stand towards the Kanthapuram Sunni group, IUML leaders said they did not expect any sudden change in the stand adopted by the Sunnis towards the party.
A few trusted lieutenants of Kanthapuram said that there would not be any change in their political stand. However, they refused to elaborate saying that it was too early to make any comments.
Mr. Kanthapuram could not be contacted for his comments. But the leaders of his organisation in the district said that as long as the IUML functioned like a subsidiary of their rival Sunni group headquartered at Chelari, lending any support to it would be difficult.
“It is not a question of whether or not we give our support. Rather, the question is how the IUML behaves towards us, especially at the behest of some Samastha Sunni leaders,” said a senior leader of the
Kanthapuram group, requesting not to be quoted.
Jamal Karulai, who heads the media relations wing of the Kanthapuram group in the district, said that they had not discussed the Vengara scenario. He said the current political scenario did not demand any
rethink on their stand towards parties. “Of course, the candidate with better efficiency and potential should win in Vengara,” he said.
IUML general secretary P.K. Kunhalikutty had won from Vengara by 38,057 votes in the 2016 Assembly elections. The LDF has again fielded the same candidate, P.P. Basheer, who had yielded to Mr.
Kunhalikutty in 2016.
While the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) has fielded K.C. Naseer, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is fielding its seniormost leader in the district K. Janachandran.
